MINISTER FOR FORESTS

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (15:24): What an extraordinary question time. What we have at the end of this parliamentary year is a government that is tired, a government that is divided, a government that is arrogant and, as we could see today, a government that is at war. We had the extraordinary scenes today in the parliament of the Treasurer, the Deputy Premier, lambasting, effectively, the Minister for Forests in front of the whole parliament, in front of the whole media and in front of all the South-East forestry community. He said to them that what the Minister for Forests said should not have been said. He said that it was unfortunate, he said that it was not necessary and he said that the comments should not have been made.

This is extraordinary, that the Treasurer would come in and lambast the Minister for Forests the very day that we all know that the Minister for Forests is under pressure because we had thousands of people in the main street, thousands of people on North Terrace, protesting at Treasury's decision and the Treasurer's decision to save his AAA credit rating so that he can pay for Adelaide Oval by selling the forests.

The Minister for Forests went down to the South-East because the Treasurer would not. The Minister for Forests went down there as the delegated minister and he told them the truth. He told them that the decision was made in 2008: 'We needed to sell the forests to save the AAA credit rating. Decision over. But don't worry, we'll do a regional impact statement.'

The Treasurer sits here today and says that it may not go ahead if the regional impact statement has an adverse comment. The Minister for Forests is in the South-East telling all the forestry workers that he has already gone to Canberra to negotiate re-employment packages.

The Hon. M.F. O'Brien interjecting:

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: The media reports indicated that there was some discussion about going to Canberra to talk about new investments into the South-East to recover the employment loss as a result of the sale of the forests. That is what the media reports say. This government is tired. It has run out of steam. It is a government without an agenda. This government is divided, and it was divided the day after the election when the would-be premier, the Minister for Education, took on the Deputy Premier through a challenge, and from that moment on this government has been divided.

The reason that it has no direction is that everyone is looking over their shoulder, counting the numbers. They are not sure where to go. The poor old Premier is doing a lap of honour. He has lost his authority. He is doing a lap of honour, and he has lost his authority. No-one is listening to the Premier. If the Premier had authority, would the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Forests be having a verbal stoush in question time today?

We had the Minister for Forests, when given the opportunity to back up the Treasurer, say that it was a 'bloody nonsense'. He said that what the Treasurer said was bloody nonsense.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Madam Deputy Speaker, these are extraordinary scenes—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, member for Davenport! You can have your time in a minute. There seems to be a lot of shouting going on.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: And that you includes, minister.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, thank you.

Mr Pengilly: Throw him out!

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: And also you, member for Finniss. Now, let us—

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I was still going, but, okay.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: This government is at war. We had the Minister for Forests openly tell the parliament in the very same question time that what the Treasurer told the public was 'bloody nonsense'. They cannot both be right—either what the Treasurer said is right or what the Minister for Forests said is right, but it is open there for all to see. This government is divided. It is divided not only in the caucus room but, for the first time in history, you have a government openly divided on the floor of the house.

This government does not deserve to govern. This government is a rabble. You have lost your authority, you have lost your way, you are divided, you are tired, you are arrogant, and you are at war. Have a good Christmas!

There being a disturbance in the gallery:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I remind the people in the gallery that it is excellent to care about something, but we do not really go for interjections or clapping at this point in time. I understand the excitement.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Actually, that is a BA with honours, I think we have already established, thank you. Laughing with myself there. The member for Florey.